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Kirby Scores in Overtime to Lift Princeton Over Rider and Into NCAA Tourney
November 08, 2011 | Field Hockey
PRINCETON (11/8/11) - Sydney Kirby scored early in the second overtime to lift the Ivy League champion Princeton field hockey team to a 1-0 win over Northeast Conference champion Rider and earn a spot in the 2011 NCAA tournament this coming weekend.
The Tigers carried the play through much of the game and had more chances but both teams struggled to connect offensively throughout much of the game. Princeton outshot Rider 7-1 over the first half but it was Rider that had the best chance of the period when Rider's Marlaine Schneider had a pass come to her all alone on the post following a corner insert. Schneider shot, but the ball went off her stick at an awkward angle and somehow stayed out of the Princeton goal.
Princeton had two good chances early in the second half as Rachel Neufeld had a shot saved and Amanda Bird shot wide on a corner. Princeton outshot Rider 7-5 in the second half and put three on goal as goalkeeper Rebecca Lotito stymied the Tigers with three saves.
The Tigers had a chance to win it as time ran out with a corner at the end of the game, but Bird's shot went off a Princeton foot, which ended the half and sent the game to overtime.
Each team had a shot in the first overtime period. Princeton's came early as Bird had a shot blocked off a corner. Rider's came seven minutes later as Tiger goalie Christina Maida stopped a Virginia Egusquiza shot.
Play opened up in the second overtime with three shots directed on goal before the game winner. Bird had a shot saved at the Rider goal before Maida stopped Egusquiza on back-to-back shots a minute later. Princeton countered and earned a corner, which set up Kirby's game winner. Alyssa Pyros inserted the ball directly to Kirby, whose shot hit the backboard and ended the game.
Kirby's goal was her ninth of the year and her third game-winning goal. She also scored the overtime game winner for Princeton against Columbia earlier this season.
The win moved Princeton to 10-7 overall and sends the Tigers to the NCAA tournament. Princeton will learn of its NCAA opponent this evening at 8 p.m., in an announcement on NCAA.com.